Annulment of controversial decree divides Egypt’s opposition

Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi have been divided after he annulled a controversial decree expanding his powers, Press TV reports.

According to the report, hours after the president annulled the order on Sunday, some opposition groups said they will no longer support street protests against Morsi.

This comes while a large number of opponents have planned to continue anti-Morsi protests, demanding to postpone the mid-December referendum on the country’s draft constitution.

The Muslim Brotherhood which supports President Morsi also called for calm, saying that all parties should resolve the country’s political crisis through dialogue.

“We urge all factions to return to dialogue and to the legitimacy. We will protect this no matter the cost, the legitimacy, the constitutional and the institutional work. Without these a nation will never be built and there would be no stability or renaissance,” said Muslim Brotherhood Supreme Guide Mohamed Badie.

On November 22, Morsi issued the decree which allowed the president to take “any decision or measure to protect the revolution.” It also made decisions and laws issued by the president “final and not subject to appeal.”

The president also announced that a referendum on the new constitution will be held on December 15.

Ever since the decree was issued, there have been massive protests with bloody clashes between the supporters and opponents of Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood near the presidential palace in Cairo.